Prague, Part 10: Vltava River

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Prague, Part 10: Vltava River

15 January, 2010 by Adam R. Paul

The Vltava River (AKA the Moldau if you’re in Germany) flows through the middle of Prague, bisecting the historic district. On the east side are Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, and New Town, and on the west are Lesser Town and Prague Castle.

The Vltava River, from Vyšehrad

Vltava pathway

On the east side, from roughly Vyšehrad to the National Theater, a low thoroughfare follows the river, and it is a very pleasant stroll.

Fishermen on the Vltava

A nice blend of fishermen, locals, and tourists strolled this path on our visit, and an unused room under the street above had been turned into a temporary art gallery.

Mute Swans / Cygnus olor

Aside from the ubiquitous feral pigeons, many Mute Swans lined the shores, obviously accustomed to being hand-fed. Although these are the same swans one often sees in city parks in the US, they are native to central and western Europe, but introduced in the US.

Common Pochard / Aythya ferina

I saw what I thought was a Redhead, an uncommon duck in the San Francisco area, but when I looked it up upon returning, it turned out I had seen a Common Pochard (LIFER!). Although they look quite similar and are unsurprisingly in the same genus, their ranges do not overlap at all.

Climbing out of the shadows

In several places, funny statues were attached to the retaining wall.

Rest

Partway down the riverside roadway were several boats and cafes, serving snacks and beer. This little walk was a pleasant find, with little hint of the hustle and bustle of cars and trams just 30 feet above it. Definitely check it out if you’re there!

Old meets new, high-wheeler meets latex.

My first Sunday in Prague coincided with the Prague International Marathon. I was amused to see one fellow, decked out in latex, riding a high-wheeler cycle down the road, enjoying its closure to traffic.

Prague International Marathon

As seems to be the case nearly everywhere, North Africans dominated the leaders group (above).

Askew windows

Tančící dům – The “Dancing House”

One of the landmark buildings on the Vltava’s edge is Tančící dům, the so-called “Dancing House,” designed by Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry. I liked its whimsical architecture, especially amid the myriad Nouveau, Gothic, & Baroque facades that Prague is famous for.

Bird over door

Many buildings here are adorned with pretty mosaics, and bird themes, especially owls, were common.

Socialist mural

One building had a lovely series of murals from the early 20th century, depicting happy workers and homemakers.

“Bubble-wrap” building

Next to the National Theater, however, is an obviously Soviet-era building that looks for all the world like a squat mushroom enrobed in plastic bubble-wrap.

Fountain decorations

A small park near the Theater has a lovely ornate fountain with Wenceslas and his horse (not upside-down this time), and the now-familiar bird motifs.

Jackdaw / Corvus monedula

In that park, I found a couple of cooperative Jackdaws (LIFER!) to photograph. As I’m fond of Corvids generally, I enjoyed watching these alert birds, with their unusual light-colored eyes.

Prague Castle at night

At nighttime, the river has great views of Prague Castle, and plenty of shops (mostly selling tourist junk) and cafes (U Rudolphino was recommended by a colleague, and proved delightfully non-touristy).

It’s definitely worth spending some extra time lingering along the shores of this river that cuts right through central Prague, and except for right near the Charles Bridge, it is not too crowded with tourists.

Prague index:

Posted in Birding, Nature, Photography, Travel | Tagged czech republic, prague, river, vltava | 6 Comments

6 Responses

on 15 January, 2010 at 19:20 montucky

You really did a great job of bringing back terrific photos of the trip! I just love the castle at night!
- on 19 January, 2010 at 08:51 Adam R. Paul
  
  Thanks, Terry!
on 17 January, 2010 at 18:54 scienceguy288

Beautiful looking river, but how is the water quality. Many rivers in Europe used to be pretty aweful.
- on 19 January, 2010 at 08:53 Adam R. Paul
  
  I don’t know, I didn’t take a sip 🙂
  
  Here’s a link that suggests a sip might be ill-advised:
  http://www.abcprague.com/2008/08/11/swimming-in-prague-vltava-river-at-ones-own-risk
on 18 January, 2010 at 09:53 bernie kasper

Great shots Adam, I especially like the Dancing House, what a wonderful trip that must have been !!
- on 19 January, 2010 at 08:54 Adam R. Paul
  
  Thanks, Bernie! Fun indeed – just another 10 or so posts, and I’ll be done with it, hopefully before the 1-year anniversary of the trip ….